How to get out of a running slump

I’m no stranger to a slump. And I know this may come as a total shock and surprise to everyone, including myself, but I actually haven’t run that much this year. Probably less than 100 miles in total if I had to guess, which is pretty out of character based on the last 4 years of my life. After running every single day last year, I wanted to take a pause. I threw my Garmin to the wayside and it sat collecting dust for literal months. Oops. I still ran but it was whenever I felt like it, and as little and as slow as I pleased. And it was really lovely for a while, until it wasn’t :)

Swinging from one extreme to the other, I’ll admit, probably wasn’t the best way to get off that exit ramp. Around May, I really started to notice how few ideas I had and how stagnant I felt creatively. Le sigh. I usually get flooded with so many ideas when I run, so the decline really wasn’t groundbreaking or surprising. It didn’t feel so bad until it suddenly felt suffocating and awful.

But for some reason, I’ve found it difficult to get back to running more in this new season of life. Like… I know exactly what I need to do (run more) and I just need to do it but for some reason the most obvious thing is sometimes the hardest to just do? Being in a busier season that has me living in two places at once, and has uprooted my typical routine in like every possible way isn’t an excuse but I was really using it as one for a hot second.

Anyway - I lost my running spark after running too much and then NOT RUNNING AT ALL… and I’m just now starting to get it back. This is exactly what I did to get myself actually excited to run again instead of it feeling like a damn chore.

“I’M IN A RUNNING SLUMP!” I exclaim to myself in an empty room. Because so long as I was avoiding it, and not acknowledging it and pretending it would just evaporate if I ignored it… so it persisted.

The first step I took was actually looking at what I was feeling, accepting it, saying “okay” to it and stop turning away from it. It immediately neutralizes feelings around it that don’t need to be there. It immediately creates space between you and le slump. In that space, you can begin to move away from it. I know it sounds silly and useless, but truly it is a necessary step (for me) that immediately gave me permission and momentum toward deciding to move differently. Draw your line in the sand, then, just decide to move differently.

I’m just the kind of person that needs some kind of structure to keep me working towards something specific. There’s so much ambiguity in life that we can’t control, so I always find so much comfort in letting movement be the thing that anchors me.

For me, that looks like having an honest look at where I was currently with my running routine and thinking about where I wanted to be instead. I make a point to create a moment of reflection that delves into what I uniquely want to accomplish – not what the Internet is telling me I should be doing. I take it to my journal for a few pages.

I removed times, paces, mileage, and expectations from the equation and just thought about what the circumstances are that make me feel my best. Then, I set a plan for closing the gap between where I currently was and where I wanted to be instead. Goals don’t always have to be wild and big and aesthetic to be effective. Running in a way that makes me feel most like myself is actually the best goal I’ve worked toward in a long time. Being able to explore what the perfect parameters are for true contentment as a lifelong runner… and being fully connected to myself, without the burden that can often come with an intense training schedule is a gift and a privilege. Recognizing that has allowed me to accept this season of running for what it is, instead of being disappointed by some false idea of what it “should” be.

This is where things get interesting. I think everyone has a different interpretation of what makes running FUN to them. To me, it’s one of the most beautiful parts of the sport. A kaleidoscope of variations on what it means to enjoy a universal movement. It comes to life differently for each runner as a perfectly unique set of variables that all add up to the same thing in the end: a genuine sense of joy.

Make it your mission to find that magic again. There are endless avenues to this feeling. Take it if it resonates, leave it if it doesn’t. Here’s a list of ideas in case you need a place to get started:

• Look up new running routes or fun places to run in your area. Has there been somewhere far away you’ve been wanting to go but are putting it off? Make a plan, bring a friend, sweat a lot, go back again and again.

• Get creative with your hydration. Make a special hydration drink for before or after your run to make you feel excited to come back. Switch it up! Drink your hydration by blending watermelon with lime juice and celtic salt. Try a new brand you’ve been wanting to try. Decide the powders are bullshit and find trace mineral drops instead. Just do something different.

• Cut up an old t-shirt, decide it’s your come back tee. Find a momento to bring you back in action. Maybe it’s sentimental, maybe it doesn’t matter! Make yourself a friendship bracelet that symbolizes your promise to be BACK. I’m just spitballing here. If you’re the type of person that hangs onto things, maybe this is a good way to symbolize your return.

• Recruit a friend. Try running with a new local club. Meet someone new. DM someone on Substack or Instagram, tell them they inspire you to move and you like their running outfits. Find community. It’s what running does best and sparking some new connections can inspire you out of your slump too.

• Proclaim your slump be ended by the power of your favorite band. Listen to all of your favorite albums from them until your slump has fully dissolved? Paramore can most definitely clear that up for you.

• Make a post-run meal that you’re really excited about. Food heals all. It’s a perfect distraction. Plan into something that you’re really excited to refuel with, make your meals feel special. You always deserve something truly nourishing, but find a way to make it feel extra GOOD. For me, it’s copious amounts of fresh juice, but truly, the world is your oyster.

• Visit a new coffee shop after your run! Caffeine literally always does the trick for me. I absolutely love trying out new spots, maybe you go somewhere new to spark some joy!

Your body is so much more resilient than you think it is. If you feel like “you lost it” I promise you didn’t. The spark is YOU. That will never go away.

It took me about 3 weeks of focused effort to feel a lot better. You don’t need much to get back on track, so if you’re feeling OFF right now, let this idea bring you peace. You’re closer than you think to where you want to be, you just have to be intentional about getting there. Start now, exactly where you are. Go back to yourself and you’ll be so glad you did.

I appreciate you so much. Thanks for being here and for reading my writing. If you enjoyed this post, send to a friend! New letters every Wednesday.

Until then, you can find me on Strava, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Join my Hudson Valley RUN CLUB! Shop my favorites here and here. For collaborations, partnerships or to work together, send me a note at kristinearocho@gmail.com.

And since you made it this far, enjoy a recent Otis photo below. See you next week!